Fran's World…and Welcome to It!

I love the internet… it has led me to so many fascinating jobs and adventures including my latest one… being the spokesperson for Auntie Anne’s National Pretzel Perfect Tongue Twister Contest. (Now there’s a mouthful, and we haven’t even gotten to the pretzels yet. Okay, let me explain.)

I know a lot of you know that I’m a stand up comic, motivational speaker, voice over artist, author, and adventurer… but I don’t know if you knew that I have been a spokesperson for various products and that 90% of my work has come through the internet and involves fast talking (what a surprise).

Anyway, I believe my latest summer gig was destiny. I’m was in the city one day (Manhattan, for you out-of-towners) eating one of those delicious hot cinnamon Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, which I hadn’t tasted in over five years. The very next day I get an email asking me if I would like to host their contest, which is part of their re-branding and awareness campaign. Feeling this was more than coincidence and still having the taste of the pretzels in my mouth, I said yes, thinking maybe I could barter a year supply of these delicious treats as part of my pay.

After a couple of emails and a conference call with the client and their PR firm, The Richards Group, my work details were set.

The concept was simple, fun and effective. Auntie Anne’s was going to hold a national tongue twister contest for kids ages 6-12. All the kids had to do was say the tongue twister, "Picky Pretzel People Pick Pretzel Perfect Pretzels" as fast, clear and with as much enthusiasm as they could show for their love of pretzels. The contest would be held in malls nationwide where the Auntie Anne franchises were, and those kids who couldn’t come down and enter could go on line at www.pretzelperfect.com and submit via DVD or video their entry. The winner would get a $2,500 educational scholarship, a $500 shopping spree, a year supply of Auntie Anne’s pretzels, and become the reigning champion. To top it off, just for entering, the kid would get a free pretzel and a book donated to their school in their name… not a bad deal. The contest would run until July 23rd and the winner would be announced the second week in August.

My part of this campaign was that, being recognized by Guinness Ripley’s, and the Book of Alternative records as the fastest talking female, I would be one of the judges of the contest. The other judge would be the President & CEO of the company, Sam Beiler and Auntie Anne’s fastest pretzel roller, Amanda Putney.

In addition to judging, I’d have to fly to Nashville to hold a mock tongue twister contest for the franchise people, and do an ANR and VNR, one at the beginning and one at the end of the contest. What’s an ANR & VNR? Good question, I didn’t know either. An ANR (audio news release) and VNR (video news release) is basically when you go into a recording studio, read some copy that the PR firm and client has made up for you, record it, and then it gets released to the media for them to pick up and distribute to the world. It’s more cost effective than flying around the country from station to station… not as personable or direct in each market… but each way has its advantages.

Anyway, the deal started as four simple days of work, and me going around the house repeating the tongue twister until both my son and boyfriend, knew it by heart. I’d say it in the kitchen, the car and the bathroom mostly under my breath, so I sounded more like I was rehearsing for a part in the Exorcist, than a tongue twister contest. After all, it would be embarrassing to be the judge and not be able to say it.

I did the ANR, and then was flown down to Nashville to let the franchisees get a whirl at saying the tongue twister. It was there in country music land, where my fascination with the company, an education and a summer long gig began.

I had never been on the inside before when a company did it’s re-branding. Auntie Anne’s unveiled its new logo, shirts, posters and promotional materials in Nashville in front of 800 store representatives. Now when I say unveiling, I’m telling you this thing was as rehearsed as a Broadway show… complete with music, huge red velvet curtains, suspense, a laser light show, and high tech video montages. The curtains parted and the crowd went wild. I looked around to make sure Elvis hadn’t walked into the building.

It was fascinating to watch a totally successful company, up the “auntie” so to speak. They say to stay successful in life you constantly have to reinvent yourself… well they were doing it, not by touching their delicious product… but by snazzing up their marketing… and I was part of it.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I was sent to Nashville incognito… eating dinner the night before with the franchisee people, but playing the part of their website reporter, not revealing that I was the worlds fastest talker… you see I was part of the unveiling as well. Luckily, I didn’t have to pull a Scarlet O’Hara and wear a curtain.

The mock tongue twister contest, choosing six participants out of a hat, went well. Everyone in the audience got a kick out of seeing their fellow store owners tie their tongues in knots. After the contest, a lot of the store owners were asking me if I was going to show up at their mall events and cheer the kids on. Now that wasn’t part of the original deal, but always being game in life I turned to my two key contacts, Trish and Val, and shrugged. "I’m there if you need me."

The next thing I know, I’m being asked if I would fly to Columbus, Philly, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta to sign autographs, talk to the kids, give some fast talking pointers and talk to any press that might show up, and do some major morning news shows. "Who would say no?"

"Of course I had to ask the magic question, "Do I get a pretzel at each event?" With a quick yes, we signed an agreement. I was flying around the country, posing with Twisty, the Auntie Anne’s Pretzel mascot, telling kids how to breath; taking pictures with the kids, meeting the wonderful store owners, making announcements in the mall and out on the street about the event, joking with the parents, meeting friends, and just having a great time fast talking with the press. Oh yes, and eating lots of pretzels.

The schedule was a bit grueling at times, but you learn to juggle home life, work and lack of sleep… like when last weekend I had to drive to Philly two days in a row (in between renting my home in Queens, finding a new place to live upstate, plus dealing with the sad untimely death of a young beloved family member) or when this week I had to I fly into Dallas at night (with a sore throat, head cold and a whole lot of Afrin) and deal with JFK airport being shut down and delaying our flight by three hours which wouldn’t have been so bad except it only gave me three hours to sleep before I had to get up at 3 am and pretend I was wide awake to do CBS This Morning at 4:15, then race over to Fox TV, then to Dallas this morning, followed by a 1/2 hour radio show where they wanted me to pretend I hijacked the station and was the DJ, and then drive to the mall, change in the car, do three hours at a mall of autograph signing, fast talking with the kids and posing for the cameras… all in 100 degree weather! But, hey I got to eat more pretzels… the bottom line is, no one said, spokesperson work was easy… just that it was fun, and if you did it right, beneficial to everyone.

Anyway, it ain’t over yet. I’m writing to you from my Chicago hotel room (nice view by the way I can see the river). I finally got some sleep after this mornings 5 AM TV show. Okay, who am I kidding, after the TV show, the franchisee owner down here, Scott and the PR lady, Trish and I went out to breakfast. Then after feeling like all I was doing was eating, I decided I just had to walk for two hours to the harbor. Why? Because I felt I needed to walk off some pretzels before I start to look like Twisty without the outfit.

Anyway, this week I head to possibly San Antonio, then my final mall stop in Atlanta, Georgia. (Where I will tag on another two days to do an adventure… I will climb a tree and sleep in it… but that’s for another blog.)

After that, we begin the judging process. All culminating with a few more surprises from the pretzel people and a final announcement of the winner on August 18th on radio and television. Then I go to sleep! Oh wait, I still have to move, paint…and zzzzzzzzzzz.

The World's Fastest Talking Spokesperson

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